AUSTRALIA -- Two dogs that mauled a three-year-old Mount Isa boy late last week have been put down.
The Staffordshire terriers were handed over to Mount Isa City Council after the attack at 6.30pm on Thursday night which occurred when a boy and his parents had been visiting a friend's house in Parkside.
On Friday, the child was flown to Brisbane by Careflight and was believed to be in need of plastic surgery after the dog attack, which was described as vicious by ambulance officers at the scene.
Queensland Ambulance Service Mount Isa officer-in-charge Matt Steer said the boy was in a stable condition and his injuries were serious but not life threatening.
"He received severe facial, arm and leg injuries after being set on by two dogs," Mr Steer said.
"It's quite devastating for everyone who was involved because there was no warning."
Mount Isa Police investigated the incident on Friday and at this stage, no charges would be laid.
Acting Superintendent Brian Cannon said as far as police were concerned the attack had been a "sad event" and a "terrible accident".
"It's not a situation where anyone has committed an offence from a policing perspective but our thoughts are with the child and we hope for a speedy recovery," he said.
The dog attack is just one of more than 50 reported in the past year to Mount Isa City Council.
Last financial year there were 56 complaints of dog attacks which were investigated and there were seven reported just last month.
This latest attack of a child comes about a year after a four-year-old boy was mauled by two dogs at his Kaeser Road home. In that instance the dogs were also destroyed.
Mount Isa council chief executive officer Bhan Pratap said dog attacks were treated very seriously and the preference was always to have the animals destroyed if they injured a person or animal.
"We appreciate the cooperation of the owners of the dog in this case who immediately surrendered the dogs to council," Mr Pratap said.
"Both dogs were unregistered so we issued the owners with an infringement notice but because the attack occurred in a backyard there can be no other punishment under council bylaws."
The owners were fined $400.
(North West Star - August 23, 2011)
